insurance help please!

[Chellingtonbear]

Hi all,
Hoping for some advise re claiming on car insurance.
My car was recently involved in a hit and run while parked outside my house.
Substantial damage occurred to the boot and the impact shunted my car into my father in laws so there is also damage to the bonnet and possibly underneath.
The 3rd party driver fled the scene but the police have managed to track them down and is now actively prosecuting them - they are denying any involvement.
I have spoken to my insurers and they feel the car is an economic write off which I am in agreement with.
I still have to pay the excess (£500) to have the vehicle removed and the cost of the car is less than this and I'm also concerned the 3rd party driver will continue to deny involvement so that they wont pay out. Therefore I don't see this as a viable option as I will be out of pocket.
My insurers have given me the 3rd party drivers policy number so that I can contact them myself to see if they will pay me the financial cost of the car - is there any point in doing this or should I just sell my car to a scrap yard?
This has been hanging over me for a while now and I'm currently going through a loss in the family so just want this over and done with.
Any advice would be greatly appreciated!

[trevt]

No expert but I would guess that if the third party doesn't accept liability nothing will be sorted until any prosecution is complete (or they admit liability).
Has your insurer/assessor confirmed they view car as uneconomical to repair? Or do you have a garage report to say so? If not I would look to get either then make a claim from the third party insurer, point out that the police have given you details and are prosecuting etc.

Once all that is done get rid of the car, or get it repaired, either via a breaker (simplest) or list it on ebay spares n repair. But keep a record of what you got for it against value before accident.

Hope all works out

[JimmyTheHand]

This is probably is better in "Speed, Plod & the Law" - but will need a mod to move it since you are new.

[barker22]

why pay your excess at all?
if the car is worth less than your excess, break/scrap it. use the £500 to repair your FIL's car, keep the insurance out of it.

[Buff Mchugelarge]

I'd be interested to know this too. One of my cars is worth less than the excess on it's insurance policy and therefore I'd be out of pocket if any one so much as sneezed on it, but I need insurance to be able to drive it (fully comp was cheaper than TPO too?!).

Isn't the point of insurance to put you back in the position you were before a claim?


R1loon will be along in a bit I'm sure..

[elanfan]

OP - the TP that fled, was it his car or a stolen TWOC'd one. Presumably if it is his car (and despite his denials I guess he has a badly damaged car as evidence?) his insurers should be paying a third party claim to you for your written off car, the damage to your in laws car and all your out of pocket expenses - excesses shouldn't come into it.

If it was stolen I think the insurers of that car still pick up the third party claim. I stand to be corrected.